🇳🇬 English, 19 October 2026, AI adoption
Microsoft's Africa Development Centre Closure Raises Questions About AI's Impact on Jobs
Microsoft's closure of its Africa Development Centre has sparked debate about the role of AI in workforce reductions.
The closure of Microsoft’s Africa Development Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, has left over 400 engineers without jobs, raising questions about the company’s long-term commitment to developing local technical talent.
The decision to shut down the centre, which was part of Microsoft’s $100 million commitment to build engineering capacity in Africa, has been attributed to the company’s shift towards AI.
The narrative that AI will soon become central to how businesses operate is being reinforced by the closure, with AI companies raising enormous sums on the promise that their technology will change work.